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AVARUA, Rarotonga, Cook Islands (November 2, 2001 – Radio Australia)---Tourism Cook Islands has changed its marketing strategy, in a concerted effort to bump up accommodation bookings beyond January of next year.

Intensive marketing strategies already are under way to cushion the effects of a global tourism crisis following the September 11th terrorist attacks on the U.S.

Tourism Cook Islands head Chris Wong says the country has a good number of bookings until the end of December and January.

But he says the problem is with what will happen after January.

The focus, therefore, is now switching from the Northern Hemisphere to attracting visitors from the short haul markets of New Zealand and Australia.

Mr. Wong says even if there is a 10 to 20 percent decline in tourists from the Northern Hemisphere, he is confident that the Cooks can compensate for that with an increase from New Zealand and Australia.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (November 2, 2001 – Agence France-Presse)---Vanuatu has called in New Zealand fraud investigators to help get to the bottom of a multimillion-dollar scam that may bankrupt the Pacific nation, diplomatic and law enforcement sources said Friday.

The alleged scam centers on state-backed "letters of guarantee" (LOGs) worth at least 100 million U.S. dollars that former Prime Minister Barak Sope is believed to have issued to an Indian businessman.

The letters may be called up for payment, dealing a devastating financial blow to the Vanuatu government, which had revenues this year of only 95 million dollars.

In a bizarre twist to the saga, men from Sope's home village have armed themselves with knives and axes to stop police searching his home, sources said.

Two investigators from New Zealand's Serious Fraud Office (SFO), Steve Drain and Dave Osborn, are in Vanuatu helping with the investigation.

SECRETARIAT OF THE PACIFIC COMMUNITY (SPC) Nouméa, New Caledonia Suva, Fiji Islands

Pacific Women's Resource Bureau

PRESS RELEASE November 2, 2001 Koror, Palau

TAKES FOCUS ON UN WOMEN'S CONVENTION

The leading global convention for women's equality has been the focus of attention for Micronesia's leaders, policymakers, heads of departments, and legal advisors this week.

Talks rounded off today on why Micronesia remains the last geographical sub-region in the Pacific to accept what is known as the Bill of Rights for women, the CEDAW convention.

Run by the SPC's Pacific Women's Resource Bureau, the workshop on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) aims to assist the six Northern Pacific countries (CNMI, FSM, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru and Palau) towards ratification of the Convention.

Up to 25 participants have discussed legalities and issues in the Northern Pacific with...

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (November 2, 2001 – Radio Australia)---While the Papua New Guinea government continues to consider Australia's request to process more asylum seekers refused entry there, the Catholic Church has criticized PNG's refusal to process refugees on the border with Irian Jaya.

From Port Moresby, Radio Australia correspondent Sean Dorney reports.

"The United Nations High Commission for Refugees has informed the Vanimo diocese that financial support for the upkeep of the 400 people in the camp will end on January the first.

"The reason given is that Papua New Guinea won't recognize the people's claims to refugee status.

"PNG classifies them as border crossers and the UNHCR says it can deal only with refugees.

"The diocese is ready to keep assisting those in the camp, but only if a proper agreement is signed, including a commitment from the PNG government to allow processing to take place to determine genuine refugee cases....

"I will send a letter to the president so that on December 22 (she) can come to hand over the law on the special autonomy for Papua as a Christmas and Eid-al-Fitr present for believers in Papua," Mr. Solossa said, according to the Antara news agency.

The Indonesian Parliament on October 22 passed the autonomy law in efforts to head off pressure for independence.

Under the law, the province will be officially renamed Papua when the legislation takes effect on December 22.

The law gives greater recognition to the special characteristics of the resource-rich and mainly Melanesian-populated province by allowing it to have its own flag and anthem.

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (November 3, 2001 - Samoa News/PINA Nius Online)---Manamea Apelu, crowned Miss South Pacific last month, plans to use her position to promote resolution of environmental issues.

The 26-year-old Samoan received a scholarship for environmental studies, studying in Australia and Fiji, and later gained a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental science.

She is currently working at the Samoa Visitors Bureau promoting environmental awareness programs in Samoa. She also serves as a national United Nations volunteer.

She said after the Miss South Pacific contest in Apia: "When given any opportunity, I hope to use my reign as Miss South Pacific to continue to give out the message about our environmental problems, which are affecting our Pacific Islands."

This month she has been invited to participate in the International Symposium for National Volunteerism in Geneva, Switzerland.

BUKA, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea (November 2, 2001 – The National)---The initial stage of a K 13 million (US$ 3,737,500) AusAID wharf project in Bougainville is under way in Buka.

The AusAID-funded project will redevelop and expand the wharf system to include the smaller Buka and Kangu wharves in Pinakei, South Bougainville by the end of 2002.

Project Engineer Don Ross told The National in Buka that New Britain drillers have been engaged to base holes through the reefs where the Buka wharf is expected to extend by 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) from its current Buka Harbor location to a ship ramp near the Buka market.

"The holes are drilled to access the strength of the seabed before the pillars of the wharf can be stationed," Mr Ross said.

He added that the Pinakei wharf at Kangu Beach also would be very beneficial to the people of both South and Central Bougainville.

CONGRESSMAN ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD Delegate from Guam U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C.

NEWS RELEASE November 2, 2001

JAPANESE VISITOR REPORT IS ENCOURAGING

After meeting in Washington with Japanese Embassy officials today, Congressman Robert A. Underwood said the news they reported to him was encouraging.

"The encouraging news was they expect some economic recovery to begin as early as the new year," the Congressman said after meeting with Japanese Embassy Counselor Keiichi Katakami and his deputy, Mr. Takaoka.

Congressman Underwood requested the meeting to seek ways in which the Japanese government might be able to assist Guam in improving travel numbers. The Congressman also raised concern about rumors that the Japanese Government and businesses interests were discouraging travel to U.S. destinations. The officials, the Congressman said, reported that the Japanese Government had no such policy, but could not speak for Japanese...

SUVA, Fiji Islands (November 1, 2001 -- Wansolwara Online/Pasifik Nius)---University of the South Pacific authorities have tightened security following the anthrax scare at the campus book center on Tuesday.

Â§ All mail addressed to an academic office should be taken to the mailroom.

Â§ No envelope should be hand-delivered to an academic office or given to a staff member in that office.

Public relations director Susannah Thackray said people on campus should refer all "suspicious" letters or parcels to the Institute of Applied Sciences, which has the conditions and necessary equipment to determine whether the material is infected.

And he has called for Vanuatu police and immigration officers not to allow them to be used by politicians to implement such unlawful actions

Barak Tame Sope Maautamate, the then prime minister, and his since ousted Government, were angered by a series of investigative reports by Neil-Jones revealing embarrassing details about overseas businessmen they were involved with.

Ombudsman Alatoa has now released a public report on the deportation of the publisher from Vanuatu on January 19th. The deportation was subsequently overturned in court.

The report says: "This was an enquiry instigated at the Ombudsman’s own initiative as the matter raised important issues of breaches of procedural fairness and...

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.